St. Hripsime Church Saint Hrip'sime church Catholicos Komitas of Agtz. Religious architecture Central plan churches Early Medieval Religious buildings tetraconchs The church was built in honor of the nun Hrip'sime (meaning of royal birth), who along with the abbess Gayane and 35 other Christian nuns from Rome were killed on orders of King Trdat III before his conversion to Christianity by St. Gregory the Illuminator. Upon the king’s conversion, Christianity was proclaimed as Armenia’s state religion in 301 AD making Armenia the first Christian nation. St. Hrip'sime is a highly complex type of central-plan church which has been considered specifically Armenian. It is quatrefoil with an octagonal central bay surmounted by a dome. Four narrow ¾ cylindrical niches separate four vaulted apses on the main axes and concave squinches above make the transition from the central octagon to the oval gallery with drum on which the cupola rests. The church is considered most uniquely Armenian in style. The dome is somewhat elliptical with 12 decorative inner ribs. Deep triangular niches on the outside wall of the building. Catholicos P'ilippos 1982 Images Digital Tiffs and jp2s A-0020 Parsegian, V.L.. Armenian Architecture: (Zug, Switzerland, IDC, 1980). Armenian Ejmiadzin, Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia 618 CE Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Armenian Educational Council
St. Hripsime Church
Saint Hrip'sime church
Catholicos Komitas of Agtz.
Religious architecture
Central plan churches
Early Medieval
Religious buildings
tetraconchs
The church was built in honor of the nun Hrip'sime (meaning of royal birth), who along with the abbess Gayane and 35 other Christian nuns from Rome were killed on orders of King Trdat III before his conversion to Christianity by St. Gregory the Illuminator. Upon the king’s conversion, Christianity was proclaimed as Armenia’s state religion in 301 AD making Armenia the first Christian nation. St. Hrip'sime is a highly complex type of central-plan church which has been considered specifically Armenian. It is quatrefoil with an octagonal central bay surmounted by a dome. Four narrow ¾ cylindrical niches separate four vaulted apses on the main axes and concave squinches above make the transition from the central octagon to the oval gallery with drum on which the cupola rests. The church is considered most uniquely Armenian in style. The dome is somewhat elliptical with 12 decorative inner ribs. Deep triangular niches on the outside wall of the building.
Catholicos P'ilippos
1982
Images
Digital
Tiffs and jp2s
A-0020
Parsegian, V.L.. Armenian Architecture: (Zug, Switzerland, IDC, 1980).
Armenian
Ejmiadzin, Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
618 CE
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Armenian Educational Council